Today: [Isaiah 17] Who Are the 144,000? In chapter 17 of Isaiah we find the prophet speaking against the northern kingdom. The 10 tribes to the north have called on their ancient enemies in Damascus to come against the city of Jerusalem. There is a great fear of Assyrian invasion and both the northern and southern kingdoms have forsaken trust in God and turned to foreign powers for help. As a result Isaiah predicts the 10 tribes to the north will be completely decimated and lost to history. This brings an interesting question then from Rev. 7 regarding the 144,000. If 10 of these tribes disappeared in captivity, being bred out of existence, then what does Rev. 7 refer to? Likewise the overall message is for us that our trust must be in the God of heaven when things get difficult and not turning to outward resources rather than the living God.
